From The Perry Mason TV Show BookBecause of her husbandís recent demise, Lucille Forrest is the richest widow in Forrest Junction, California. Unfortunately, shortly before she became a widow, Lucilleís son was killed in what appeared to have been a hunting accident. Although Lucille is convinced her son was murdered, a provision in her husbandís will forbids her from investigating the death.

She goes to Perry for help. He has Paul investigate the matter, but this quickly ends when Ralph Day, a newspaperman Lucille suspects of killing her son, dies himself. Already suffering from a bleeding ulcer (typical for newspapermen), Day bled to death because his system was full of rattlesnake venom. When the police learn that Lucille was using the venom as a folk cure for her own ailments, they arrest her for murder.